TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s Gospel (Lk 6:36-38) contains a line that has become quite controversial in the past ten years or so:

“Stop judging and you will not be judged.” (v. 37a)

“The Greek word for judging can mean…to condemn (it is translated ‘condemn’ at 19:22), and what follows indicates that’s its meaning here. God is kind to the wicked (6:35), and disciples of Jesus are to imitate God’s mercy (verse 36) by not being judgmental fault-finders. Jesus tells his disciples that if they do not judge others, ‘you will not be judged’ — judged by God. Jesus does not mean that his disciples will be exempt from the final judgment (referred to at 10:14,; 11:31-320; he means that if they refrain from condemning others, then God will be lenient with them.” (Bringing the Gospel of Luke to Life, 179-80)

We are not to judge the hearts of others — leave that up to God. So, it is wise to attribute the best possible motives, no matter how implausible, to others’ actions. But, this does not mean we cannot make rational judgments about behavior. This we have an obligation today out of love and to avoid scandalizing others.

An excellent resource to hash this out is Ted Sri’s book, Who Am I to Judge? (a video is here). God’s moral law is not to be subject to relativism, lest it continue on its way to dictatorship.

God bless.